High Protein Meals on 1200 day calorie intake

Hello MFP family,
I am on 1200 calories a day and am looking to do high protein meals. Does anyone have any good meal plans that are not to high in fat or sugar. Is anyone doing anything similar? I am trying to lose fat not muscle so I know I need more protein, just not sure how to get it on 1200 calories.

Thanks!

Replies

  • Pie319
    Pie319 Posts: 129 Member
    tuna and cottage cheese are great for protein!
  • Pie319
    Pie319 Posts: 129 Member
    oh yea and egg whites. you can make some really yummy breakfasts with egg whites and veggies in a scramble or omelette.
  • ekmcdan
    ekmcdan Posts: 38
    Definitely not bashing 1200/day, but are you going off of the initial setting MFP has you on?
  • jwooley13
    jwooley13 Posts: 243
    Pretty much the only way to do 1200/day is to do it with high protein intake. If you look a few weeks back in my diary, there are some good examples of what I ate those days. Usually a protein bar for lunch and a lean protein with veggies for dinner with some snacks thrown in throughout the day. I also tried to make sure I was getting lots of healthy fats.However, I went on vacation for a week and went unrestricted and getting back to 1200 has been a real challenge. If you want to do it, I would highly recommend tapering down to that daily goal as opposed to jumping straight there.
  • LotusAsh
    LotusAsh Posts: 294 Member
    Hello MFP family,
    I am on 1200 calories a day and am looking to do high protein meals. Does anyone have any good meal plans that are not to high in fat or sugar. Is anyone doing anything similar? I am trying to lose fat not muscle so I know I need more protein, just not sure how to get it on 1200 calories.

    Thanks!


    i eat a lot of protein with most of my meals about 70 to 75 g per meal. some good protein sources are , eggs, tuna, chicken, steak, beef, egg whites, greek yogurt, casein, cottage cheese, whey protein. you want to aim for at least 1g of protein per lb of body weight
  • pastybuns
    pastybuns Posts: 81
    I personally would not recommend the 1200 calorie diet (been there, done that).

    But here are some good sources of lean protein regardless of calorie debates:
    > Any lean meat (chicken, turkey)
    > Nonfat (or low fat) plain greek yogurt
    > Eggs (you can omit the yolk if you so desire)
    > Chia seeds - sprinkle on any food or blend into smoothies.
    > Quinoa
    > Corn (or air popped popcorn)
    > Beans
    > Dark greens (Kale, spinach, collard greens, etc)

    Hope this gives you some ideas. Egg whites and air popped popcorn are protein packed and are both pretty low in caloric intake. But please don't be afraid to eat more. :]
  • simplydelish2
    simplydelish2 Posts: 726 Member
    Assuming you aren't vegetarian...I eat a lot of chicken and turkey. They both have great protein counts per calories eaten. A piece of chicken and a veggie and you're good to go. Can easily get to 100 grams of protein a day at 1200 calories.
  • polmsted0366
    polmsted0366 Posts: 3 Member
    great advice. I am trying to lose weight but cannot seem to get started.
  • LotusAsh
    LotusAsh Posts: 294 Member
    I personally would not recommend the 1200 calorie diet (been there, done that).

    But here are some good sources of lean protein regardless of calorie debates:
    > Any lean meat (chicken, turkey)
    > Eggs (you can omit the yolk if you so desire)
    > Chia seeds - sprinkle on any food or blend into smoothies.
    > Quinoa
    > Corn (or air popped popcorn)
    > Beans
    > Dark greens (Kale, spinach, collard greens, etc)

    Hope this gives you some ideas. Egg whites and air popped popcorn are protein packed and are both pretty low in caloric intake. But please don't be afraid to eat more. :]

    time for me to gorge on some popcorn!!
  • elizzy412
    elizzy412 Posts: 1 Member
    I am on 1200 a day as well. GNC has high Protein shakes and meal bars. I am using the GNC high protein shake. You can either mix with water or milk. I am doing 2 shakes a day. So, I use milk for help with the calorie in take. They have meal bars and other thing that help with a high protein diet. Cottage cheese, skinless bone less chicken breast, fish like salmon, eggs, milk, yogurt, (with dairy be careful of the fat content) nuts and seeds.

    Remember to drink lots of water!!! Also, add in a little exercise. 30 mins of yoga burns like 130 calories. So, then you can add back in snacks and things as you need them. You tube has some great yoga videos for beginners and woman who are overweight and traditional yoga is a challenge for them. That's what I use search for Just my Size Yoga!

    Also, if you are a vegetarian and not a huge fan of tofu.... quinoa, beans, peanut butter, peas, brussel sprouts, spinach, brown rice, whole wheat pastas

    Hope this helps! Good luck!

    A typical day for me looks like this.....

    Breakfast=Shake

    Lunch=Shake

    Dinner= large baked (seasoned how you like) chicken breast, steamed broccoli, plain buttered whole wheat pasta

    Snack= Cottage cheese, kettle chips (ie krunchers I use the chips to get my crunching in. I have found just the act of crunching down on some chips or crackers really helps curb my cravings. I also use sunflower seeds for this as well. I am not a big nut fan I like cashews and they are super high in fat. So, I try to stay away from the nuts.
  • annsurely
    annsurely Posts: 2 Member
    Plain Greek yogurt is pretty high in protein and low in sugar...sometimes I flavor it with a tablespoon of nut butter, which also adds a bit more protein.
  • pastybuns
    pastybuns Posts: 81
    time for me to gorge on some popcorn!!


    Gorge away good man!
    And feel no guilt! :D
  • SamanthaKayShaver
    SamanthaKayShaver Posts: 43 Member
    Turkey and chicken are my big go tos since its so low in calories.

    I love egg beaters. I usually get the southwest style and microwave 6 tbsp (40 Cal) and add a couple Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Patties (100 Cal) for a pre workout snack.

    Whole grain bread (120 cal) and reduced fat cheese (50 cal) with shredded chicken (around 100 cal) and a couple jalepenos and salsa (15 cal) makes an amazing spicy lunch.

    Chicken in Lowrys marinade from dillions!

    Turkey brats!




    > I like to eat small meals many times a day. (obviously)
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
    You can look at my diary for today, if that helps. Granted, my base calories are 1410 and then I have some exercise calories. But, even with that, I could eat Tilapia steamed in a tinfoil pouch with butter and lemon and some grilled vegetables and hit my protein ratio without going over 1200 today.

    For the most part, you can always rely on:

    Boneless skinless chicken breast
    Spinach
    Pork tenderloin
    Ground turkey
    Tilapia, or any white fish
    Flank steak
    Shrimp
    Egg whites
    Greek yogurt

    ETA: I drink a protein shake after workouts, which helps. Also, Quest bars in a pinch.
  • BrittanyMG3
    BrittanyMG3 Posts: 163 Member
    Frequent meals, I eat 5x per day on 1200 calories, I am always 70-90 over on my protein. I eat things like:
    *shakeology, with strawberries and 1tsp PB or almond butter
    *plain non-fat greek yogurt blended with 1/2 cup of fruit (or half banana) and 1 tspn of stevia
    *Almonds are a great addition to a snack, I eat 12 per day.
    *omelet with 2 eggs, lowfat sharp cheddar and sliced mushrooms/red bell pepper
    *88g of chicken breast with lettuce, cucumber, a homemade djon vinaigrette and 1/2 of a Joseph's flax pita
    *Any lean meats (even for snack, i eat protein for 4-5 of my meals) steak occasionally (maybe once or twice per month)
    *FRESH tuna, Tilapia or Salmon 2-3 oz at lunch or dinner (also only occasionally)
    *3oz of unsweetened almond milk 1-2x per week

    I do not eat protein bars mainly because of the added sugar. I substitute all sugar with Stevia.

    I always hit my 1200 calories (at least) and have lost 64lbs in the last 4 months. Good luck! it's actually much easier to get extra protein, I have a hard time and have to cut back because I eat so much. Stick to the healthy, simple foods that you prepare yourself and you won't have to worry about extra garbage chemicals or sugar hiding in each meal. :smile:
  • swissmish
    swissmish Posts: 183 Member
    Glad to have found this post, as I also really need to up my protein intake and am also on a 1200 calorie intake. Lots of good suggestions. Thanks!
  • AmelodyAngel
    AmelodyAngel Posts: 152 Member
    Thanks everyone! This is great. MFP has me set at the 1200 which is working, but I needed ways to add more protein. I eat meat, but now I have more options.
  • jenifo11
    jenifo11 Posts: 55 Member
    Check out highproteinfoods.net, they have a great search tool that will give you more options depending on what kind of foods you like to eat.
  • nomorebingesgirl2014
    nomorebingesgirl2014 Posts: 378 Member
    Yay glad I found this post . My aim is 1200 maybe a bit over and aiming for high protein ????
  • BekShark
    BekShark Posts: 55 Member
    Do you eat back any of your exercise calories?